RAF Spilsby Airfield History

RAF Spilsby is located three miles east of the market town
of Spilsby in Lincolnshire. The airfield was constructed in 1942 – 1943 and
follows the standard Class A design. Spilsby had three runways, these being
numbered 05-23, 11-29 & 16-34. There were three hangars, two T.2’s and one
B.1, which still stands to this day. Hardstandings consisted of seventeen pans
and nineteen loops. To the north lay the bomb store and to the south – west,
the communal site. The airfield was home to 2,112 males and 222 females.
Following the arrival of the USAAF in the UK, some RAF
squadrons were ousted from their bases to make room for their American brothers
in arms. One such squadron was No 207 who were flying Lancasters, having
earlier converted from the rather unsuccessful Manchester. No 207 were part of No 5 Group and wore the
code EM. The Squadron left RAF Langar in October 1943, relocating to Splisby.
The squadron remained as sole occupant at the airfield until September 1944
when No 44 (Rhodesian) Squadron arrived from RAF Dunholme Lodge, again with
Lancasters. The Squadron’s Lancasters were part of No 5 Group and coded KM. Both
No 207 and No 44 remained at Spilsby until the end of the European War.
Action came quickly to No 207 and the operations board
chalked up missions all over Germany, however it was over the night of 18 – 19
November 1943 that the Squadron mounted its first raid on Berlin. It was during
this raid that it was not only fighters and flak that were the foe of the
Lancaster. Flying at night posed its own dangers as Flight Lieutenant Baker was
to find out just before the target of Berlin was reached. Lancaster V – Victor was in the stream when
the nose of his aircraft hit the rudder of a No 9 Squadron Lancaster. The
collision tore away the nose of the 207 Lancaster along with its unfortunate
bomb aimer Sergeant Shimeld, who not wearing a parachute, fell to his death.
The No 9 Squadron Lancaster crashed near Berlin with the rear gunner killed and
six crew baling out.
Flight Lieutenant Baker continued onto the target but damage
to the bomb release mechanism prevented the bomb load from being dropped. Flight
Lieutenant Baker nursed his damaged Lancaster back to Spilsby despite the cold
wind blast that was streaming through the aircraft’s missing nose section. For
this amazing feat of airmanship, Baker was awarded the Distinguished Flying
Medal but lost several fingers to frost bite.
No 207 continued to fly and mount raids in the Battle Of
Berlin and continued to lose aircraft and aircrew. The worst night for the
squadron came on 30 – 31 January 1944, when three of their aircraft failed to
return from Berlin.
The raid on Nuremburg over the night of 30 – 31 March 1944
was to be the RAF’s heaviest loss of the war with ninety six aircraft failing
to return. Two of No 207 Squadrons Lancasters were amongst the casualties on
that disastrous night.
Life on a bomber airfield also had other dangers. On 10
April 1944 a tragic accident occurred on Spilsby’s bomb dump. A 1000lb delayed
action bomb, which was being disarmed, suddenly exploded. The blast claimed the
lifes of ten armorers, three of whom were never found.
In April 1944 two other local bomber bases, RAF Strubby
& RAF East Kirkby joined Spilsby in becoming 55 Base. The headquarters for
55 Base was located at East Kirkby.
In June 1944 the D-Day Landings took place and No 207 undertook
raids both before and after the seaborne assault. During this time No 207 were
used in a more tactical role by bombing V weapon sites, munitions facilities,
synthetic oil plants and railway targets. The squadron continued to fly
throughout the war and by its end had lost one hundred and fifty four
Lancasters, along with five hundred and eleven aircrew. A raid on Wesseling on
21 – 22 June 1944 was to prove one of the worst for 207 when five aircraft
failed to return with the loss of thirty two men.

The air war also came to Spilsby on 3 March 1945 in the form of an Intruder attack by the Luftwaffe. Intruders would mingle with the returning bomber streams and then when over the airfield carry out attacks on both aircraft and airfield structures. On this occasion Spilsby received two bombs near to a runway and number of cannon shells.

One shell struck the flag pole by the Watch Tower causing a hole which can still be seen today, as the pole is preserved nearby at The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre East Kirkby.

To the left is a photograph of the flag pole with its cannon shell hole just visible near the top. Click on image to enlarge.

As previously stated No 44 Squadron arrived at Splisby in September 1944. The Squadron had been on operations since the first days of the war. During its time at Spilsby No 44 lost fourteen Lancasters and fifty nine aircrew. No 44 continued to operate alongside No 207 during the winter of 1944 and spring of 1945. The two squadrons final raid was on 25 April 1945 in which they raided Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s mountain refuge.

With the end of the European war attention turned to Japan and the Far East. In July 1945 No 75 (New Zealand) Squadron arrived at the airfield to become part of Tiger Force. At this time No 44 Squadron left Spilsby for RAF Mepal. Had the atomic bomb not ended the Far East war in August 1945, Tiger Force would have been used on operations against Japan.

Tiger Force was now longer needed so this led to the disbandment of No 75 Squadron in October 1945. At the same time No 207 left Spilsby for RAF Methwold.

With the disbandment of No 75 and the departure of No 207, flying at Splisby ceased. The station was taken over by No 2 Armament Practice School. The School remained until November 1946 after which Splisby was placed under Care & Maintenance. The airfield remained in this state until June 1955. It was then re-opened for use by the United States Air Force for non flying duties. Oddly at this time the east – west runway was extended although it was never used. The Americans left in March 1958 with the end of the Korean War. This spelt the end for Spilsby as an airfield.

Today very little of the airfield remains with the two T.2 hangars having been demolished and the runways torn up to be used as aggregate for the Humber Bridge. However, there are two memorials located near the airfield. The Operations Block, the B.1 hangar, some sections of perimeter track and a few loops are still to be found in place. Part of the domestic site is still extant but is on private land.

Sources –

Delve, K (2005), Bomber Command 1936 - 1968 (Pen & Sword, Barnsley

Otter, K (2009), Lincolnshire Airfields In The Second World War (Countryside Books)

Freeman, R A,(2001), Bases Of Bomber Command Then And Now (After The Battle)